Fall of the Cardinal
by Dashi
Summary: Fanfiction story of the children show: Dogtanian and Three mukehounds 1994. I found the series again, and I remember adoring the wolf cardinal Richelieu in it. Story about him and his companion and spy Milady, and the relationship with them.
1. First temptation

**Fall of the Cardinal**

**Part 1 : First temptation**

_Fanfiction story of the children show: Dogtanian and Three mukehounds 1994. I found the series again, and I remember adoring the wolf/fox/shakal cardinal Richelieu in it. (They are still actually selling DVD's of the show, I shall get some.) And this story is about him and his servant/friend/companion, Milady and the relationship between them.._

Silence reflected from the walls, as he closed his eyes - sitting in front of his desk, in the comfort of his throne. He put a moment to his thoughts since there was nothing to do anymore as the letters had been sent, contracts signed. And finally he had some time for himself - though, there was nowhere to put it. He was a holy man; his life was about his work and for his work. He didn't have anything else to live for.

He leaned his bony head toward his hand; let his sharp nails sweep the light brown fur on his face - sighing deeply, just before he heard the door opening. He raised his sight, facing the masked face of _"his"_ lady, Milady. The one person who made him feel more than a Cardinal - made him feel like a man, even though there was nothing between them. There was only a tense, formal friendship. Something that allowed him to walk in his garden with a woman, a lady, without people constantly judging him of betrayal. He was the Cardinal after all.

He nodded to Milady, with a little, superficial smile on his thin, pale lips. His lady did the same with a little bow - yet her smile was somewhat more real than his. She cleared her throat softly and opened her soft, smooth voice:

"Good day, my dear Cardinal," she said, blinking her eyes in a way that made the Cardinal's stomach turn, as he answered with a cold, formal voice:

"I'm delighted that you care to join me, my dear lady," he said.

"Would you care to join me in the garden," he decided to add right away.

And his lady nodded softly, bowing slightly again. She put her hands against each other, following Cardinal's every single move with her eagle sight, as he slowly rose from his chair, grabbing the little, hard covered Bible from his desk. It was his protector - at least I thought it was. It made his thoughts always come back to God himself when he was standing on the edge of the abyss - lust, joys of the flesh, corruption, women.

He didn't offer his hand to Milady - no way would he. It was too risky for a man in his position to do fragile things like that. They would make his lady think something that would never happen - at least from his behalf. He just bowed to her, opening the door ahead again, letting her walk first, following her steps right after. And there was no talk, no conversation until Milady turned her soft sight to him and said:

"I see something is bothering you, my dear Cardinal," and her voice was rather flat as she said it - very formal, tense, yet very soft to the Cardinal's ears.

Though, for him, his lady was all about softness, flawless perfection and mysteries.

She was perfect for him, with every single detail. He just didn't admit it to himself.

"It's nothing, Milady. I have just been ... thinking about my position, my values," he answered, choosing every one of his words very carefully, making them sound flawless, cold and formal.

You could tell that he was all about status, as he stepped to the garden from the main pair of doors in the back of his glorious palace that was bathing in the Eastern sunlight. And oh, how warm it was - how bright it was. He was forced to shut his eyes for a short moment so they would get used to the warm and bright sunshine that was covering his beautiful garden. And it was silent, only one or two birds were singing in the background. You could only hear the steps that were striking the ground like a relaxed heartbeat.

Milady was beautiful in the sunshine, even tough the Cardinal thought that the soft, shimmering light of the pale, white moon suited her soft, mysterious features better. And he had to admit that he liked the moonlight better compared to sun, that made his eyes ache for a moment. Moon was more gentle, softer -- erotic.

And a little bit he was frightened by his wandering mind back then. Decided to turn his attention elsewhere, since he couldn't really keep up with his thoughts. But he didn't have to say or ask anything; his lady did it for him.

"Do you think your status has somewhat weakened then?" she asked.

In his mind, the Cardinal doubted for moment.

"Well ... yes and no, my dear lady," he answered.

Milady smiled softly, leaned down to smell the fragile smell of the wild rose, which was growing aside of the little garden path. She touched the leaves gently, asking:

"So what is bothering you then?"

There was no proper way to express the feelings, thoughts he had had. At least for him there wasn't. So he took his time thinking about it, choosing the correct words carefully so he wouldn't make a clown of himself - even though he felt that he had already done it to himself. But still the cold, formal presence stood tall upon him, as he answered:

"I have not been thinking clearly lately. My mind has been elsewhere."

Milady stood up slowly, with soft movements of her body - the Cardinal spotted it even though he wouldn't have wanted to. His lady smiled with a little sinister look in her mysterious eyes, as she said to him:

"Has my Cardinal become somewhat _"unholy" _of his mind?"

The Cardinal moved his thin eyebrows with an insulted soul. He felt insulted, yet he was trying to hide it as well as he simply could. He was a patient man - at least he liked to think that way of himself. He bit his tongue and rolled his eyes a bit, opening his voice again.

"I don't know the meaning of the word," he snapped silently, turning his head away dramatically.

Milady raised her pale, thin fingers and took the black mask off her face, revealing the soft cat features around her fair, beautiful eyes, which kept stealing the Cardinal's attention from time to time. She smiled with a smile that was full of mysteries unsolved, words unsaid, as she gently told him:

"Oh, don't be ashamed, my dear Cardinal."

She took a slow step, stepping ahead of him, slightly sweeping the Cardinal's bony cheek with her cold touch of tempting softness, making the air shiver with a hint of unreleased temptations in the holy man's mind. A little uncontrolled blush stroke his cheeks as his lady continued by whispering:

_"We all have them from time to time." _


	2. Solving a problem

**Fall of the Cardinal**

**Part 2 : Solving a problem**

He stood before the mirror in his dark chamber. No light passed trough the thick velvet curtains in front of the large windows. There was nothing to look at on the silver surface of reflection. Only emptiness as he didn't really care to look at himself. He only looked at his reflection so he could place his golden pendant to his chest and tie his silk cloth belt on his heavy, flaming red robe, which swept the floor after his steps as he stepped to the hallway. His servant, dressed in grey, greeted him with a formal bow that was left unnoticed, as the Cardinal walked just right pass him.

The Cardinal listened carefully to the silence, as his steps softly stroke the floor underneath like a gentle heartbeat. It was early Saturday morning, silent and slow – at least for him, who lived alone in such a place; gorgeous palace, in where he passed expensive interior – paintings, carpets, curtains – as he made his way to his salon. In there, he sat down on a green sofa that was dressed in the finest fabrics of France.

Coffee was served black to him every morning so he would wake up. It was his only addiction at the time, even though he didn't really admit it. He was pure, holy – he has no common sides, not even one. Or so he would like to think for comfort.

And for half an hour he spent in his own company, drinking coffee and eating thin slices of fair bread for breakfast. But after 9 am, he was joined by Milady, who didn't actually live in the palace, but it was clear to everyone that she spent almost every one of her days in there. Some people even addressed her as the _lady of the palace _behind the Cardinal's back.

"Good morning, my dear Cardinal," she said politely – like she always did.

The Cardinal nodded to her as she bowed gently to him. She was dressed in black - Milady - as she always was. In a dark robe with hood and dark, mysterious mask capturing her sinister emerald eyes like no make up would. She blinked a couple of times with long lashes, smiling rather softly and asked her Cardinal:

"May I sit with you?"

It didn't take too long for the Cardinal to answer her:

"Oh, please do. It's always a pleasure," he said with a cold, formal voice that hid the warmth underneath.

And so Milady sat down - to a chair that was turned towards the Cardinal from the other side of the low, little coffee table. She crossed her legs beneath her dark velvet robe and leaned her fragile, elegant arms gently towards the chair, as her Cardinal followed her every move with his dark eyes, which were framed by the bony features of his canine face. He cleared his throat, but his lady was faster.

"Have you been better after yesterday?" she asked as the Cardinal leaned a bit to fill his coffee cup again - there was something that his lady was interested in.

But before her Cardinal could do or say anything, Milady grabbed his cup with her thin fingers and filled it with a perfect movement of her elegant, beautiful hands, offering it back right away. The Cardinal moved his left eyebrow with wonderment and took the cup, fairly touching his lady's soft fingertips. He smiled a bit, hiding his dumb expression underneath his calm and chilly smile.

"I guess so," he lied.

His lady saw right trough his words, like they would've been made of glass. She nodded with a teasing little light in her eyes and said softly:

"I see."

And at that point it came clear to the Cardinal, that his lady might know him a little bit too well. He didn't really know what to think about her words just yet. But most certainly they didn't offer him any advantage at this point. He kept silent, taking a drink from his second cup of coffee.

"You don't have to lie to me, my dear Cardinal," he heard his lady say suddenly; in a way that stunned the Cardinal and he said with a tense tone of voice:

"You show a great amount of boldness by saying such a thing."

"I'm a lady of many talents, my lord," she smiled mysteriously.

The Cardinal felt rather uncomfortable and bit his tongue to keep out the rising anger in him. He calmly took a drink from his coffee cup and moved his sight to his lady and snapped sharply:

"You came here just to mock me then?"

"Oh no, my dear Cardinal, never. Don't get me wrong. I came here to solve your problem," she said right away, with a voice that was a lot more comforting - made the Cardinal's pulse go down a bit and made his hands relax as his expression grew tense and he muttered:

"What exactly is my problem?"

And suddenly Milady stood up from her chair. The Cardinal followed her movement carefully with a cold pair of eyes, maybe even a little question mark within his look, as his lady's sight sharpened and she whispered:

"This is."

And in the next moment the Cardinal gasped with a bare shock when his lady sat right next to him, pushing her fragile body against him. A hot feeling took over in him like a wave of bare fire, as he felt his lady's fingers unbuttoning his velvet robe, searching his thin, skinny neck with tempting, soft kissed, that were like the touches of the Devil himself. The Cardinal whined silently - like wounded animal - as the lady's hand touched his naked skin underneath the heavy velvet. He pulled away, leaning back from the temptations. And oh, how exhausted he felt even by then.

Yes, secretly he had wanted this.

But it was his forbidden apple.

_No._

"P-please ... don't..," he gasped silently, weakly, closing his eyes like he would've been in pain as Milady's lips softly touched the back of his pointy ear.

It was so hard to breath, so hard to resist. It was like his mouth would've suddenly been filled with hot water, his soul with thousands of the sharpest needles. Every single breath grew heavier than the one before as he tried to kill the situation by pulling away. His skinny shoulder was showing. He felt the desired touches, felt the painful thoughts in his head, and yet he couldn't resist a weak little woman.

"Stop it..," he whined, trying to pull away from the lady - but he couldn't.

Milady's cold, thin fingers touched like feathers when they slowly swept lower, touching the Cardinal's chest, which was trebling with the exhausting beat of his heart. He was like a hunted lion; afraid, stripped from his pride so suddenly that it made him feel sick. His hand begun helplessly to reach for the cloth of his robe, trying to pull it back on his showing, naked skin, gasping and whining so silently that no-one could hear him. The kisses ran lower.

And he was captured within his dark desires and his dignity.

"Stop it," he gasped with a voice more powerful, but nothing happened.

Despair reflected from his face like pain within the whining little gasps and sounds.

And then, like something would've snapped within him, he took a strong, violent grip of his lady's wrist and snapped loudly, with an exhausted but angry voice:

"Stop it!"

His lady raised her face that had no expression on its soft features. She just smiled smoothly, pulled away from her Cardinal without any words, as the Cardinal pulled his velvet robe back together, slowly buttoning it again. He was angry at that point; humiliated, ashamed as he turned his flaming eyes to his lady, who just swept her lips and stood up from the sofa like she hadn't done anything.

"What in Heaven's name is wrong with you? I would have you beheaded because of this, if you wouldn't have been such a loyal companion for all these long years, Milady!" he snapped with the weight of frustration on the tone of his voice.

"We all desire things we can't achieve, my lord," Milady said mysteriously.

"And that is your problem."

The Cardinal kept silent. He touched the pendant on his chest and pointed an other fierce look to his lady, who was speaking the truth. The Cardinal didn't admit it directly - even to himself and said with a cold voice:

"And you needed to put together such an indecent act just to show me that?"

Then his lady laughed with a laugh that lacked happiness. It was just a cold, silent laughter, that made her Cardinal's inner fire grow just a little more. But then Milady turned her eyes to face her Cardinal. Her expression was gentle, yet mysterious, as she said:

"You could've resisted me, my dear Cardinal. I'm not physically too strong compared to you. You could've pushed me away. Yet you didn't do it."

Uncontrolled blush stroke the Cardinal's face. He couldn't hide it even though he tried. And he took a sour, grumpy expression on his bony face, and turned his sight away as dramatically as he possibly could. Milady understood that the moment was over and done with. She didn't show much feeling in her movement as she slowly moved towards the door. She just bowed to her master, altough he wasn't paying any attention to her anymore. He was too insulted to do so.

But as the doors closed, the Cardinal could feel the taste of _honey_ in his mouth.

And he desparetly desired to have more.


	3. I desire

**Fall of the Cardinal**

**Part 3 : I desire**

Cut for every kiss that had been laid on his skin.

Because above all the Cardinal was a strict man to himself. You could see it as he sat naked on his big, oak bed that was covered with heavy curtains. And he was holding a letter knife in his right hands, cutting slight cuts into his neck, chest, shoulders - everyplace lips had touched him. It was right for him - for letting the Devil touch him; let him dine on his pride and holiness trough the only woman whom he cared to see everyday - trough a woman whom he secretly desired.

He felt that he should've felt relieved as the situation this morning hadn't really led to anything else. He should've felt proud of himself as he had been able to resist the thing he desired the most at that point. He had been strong; at least he tried to convince himself that he had been. He had been more than a common man - the thing that he was deep within.

And oh, how heavy was the weight of sin on his cut shoulders when he stood before the mirror, getting dressed again after his reckless rest within his chamber, as his dinner was supposed to be served soon in the main tower of his palace. He didn't really feel hungry back then, but I could always snack a bit before going to sleep - giving his fragile soul to nightmares that were already growing in the back of his head. He could feel it.

And again, he stepped to the hallway, turning his steps toward the tower. His servant could hear his master sigh deeply as he passed by leaving the chamber. Guess the Cardinal was relieved yet frustrated at the same time, like he didn't know what to think, how to react to the feelings and acts he had experienced lately.

But he was glad his lady wasn't there. Not that he would've hated, been disgusted by her after this morning. He just wanted to hide. Be ashamed alone, in his own company. He didn't care to share it. After all, he was the Cardinal.

The main tower was dressed in black as he always wanted it to be. In black velvets and silks of the finest quality, with a little shade of bloody red in every here and there. He loved the dark, gothic feeling in there and that's why he loved to have his dinner there every Saturday evening. There was a long, dramatic table just for him to use. Not too many people visited him in there. Though he recalled dining with one of the ministers one time. He didn't remember it that well. Hopefully he wasn't too drunk back then.

He stepped inside the dining chamber, moving his sight from the silks and velvets to the long dining table that was filled with treats of many kinds. And the chamber was rather dark, filled with the fragile lights of candles. They made him relax a bit and loosen up his tense muscles. And he sat down, put the napkin on his knees, making every move take forever like he would've enjoyed the flawless moment of silence. But little did he know, as he actually wasn't alone.

"Good evening, my dear Cardinal," he heard a familiar voice purr from the direction of his pillow bed - rest place that had been put together of the finest velvet pillows and silks - just for him, because of the harsh fact that he intended to pass out in the tower after his drinking.

Not too often though.

The Cardinal raised his sight with wonderment and his muscles grew tense all the sudden as he prepared to jump up from his chair. No doubt; he was surprised by the sudden voice. But as his hands moved towards the edge of the table, he realized that the voice was Milady's. And his expression grew sour, like he would've swallowed a rotten plum. So he sat down again - keeping silent for a moment, thinking about the proper words to express his frustration. Without greeting his lady, he raised his cold, distant voice:

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

His lady rose as she was sitting on the velvet pillows. And oh, how she looked beautiful that night; moonlight captured on her fair, gray skin trough the thin glass of the window, wearing a dark gown that was very much like her hooded robe. Her naked arms captured the Cardinal's attention for a moment. Carefully following his lady's every single movement, as she would've been dangerous. And she was. She was his weak spot. His forbidden apple.

"I'm no guest to your palace, _your eminence_," she answered softly, using _the word _that she hadn't used in ages– getting her Cardinal a bit surprised.

For her, he was always _dear Cardinal_ – he was _her lord_.

Slowly she moved towards the end of the table, towards him, sweeping the table's edge with her cold, thin fingertips. And that was the point where the Cardinal grew tense, frightened as the taste of honey rushed to his mouth again. He was slowly poisoned by his hidden desires, as his eyes followed every step of his lady, who didn't seem the formal friend she used to be for him. She was the predator. She had the carnivore's look in her eyes, as her figure came closer - step by step. And her presence preyed on her Cardinal.

And at that point, when the candle lights gently stroke his lady's naked arms, the Cardinal begun to grow suspicious. This wasn't like his lady at all. She was not the same after had uncovered the truth of her Cardinal's secret thoughts – _lust_. Seemed like she was somehow planning to use them against him. She was most certainly trying to seduce him, but the Cardinal didn't know what were her motives – her own desires. So he decided not to show any expression, keeping everything to himself. There was no feeling, as he just kept silent and alert, following every action committed in the dark dining chamber of fair candles.

"I can move here almost like you," she added after the awkward silence, stepping nearer, behind her Cardinal's back, whose eyes carefully followed her.

Suspicion grew stronger.

The Cardinal furrowed his brow, keeping himself from revealing his sharp teeth.

"You have had my trust for so long, that I have approved it," he answered tautly, with a cold tome of voice like he didn't care for such thing.

"So you have..," she sneered silently, feeling her Cardinal tremble a bit.

The Cardinal gasped so silently that no-one could hear as he felt two fragile, cold hands resting on his cut shoulders that were covered with the finest of velvets. Yet he didn't do anything, just gazed to the emptiness. He could feel his secret feelings answering to his lady's quiet call – to the tempting, soft touches of her elegant fingers. He was paralyzed, trapped. And he could feel his lady bend over his shoulder so she could see his glazed gaze. Her Cardinal was too afraid to meet her eyes, as his breath grew heavier again. He could smell the fragile fragrance on his lady's long neck. So pleasant, alluring, yet disturbing at the same time.

It was the graceful scent of addiction, attraction.  
It was a scent of night, scent of something he wanted the most.

Then, very slowly, gently Milady's cold hands softly begun stroke her Cardinal shoulders. So slowly and gently, so tenderly touching that he didn't actually realize it. After the gentle touches actually caressed him he realized the touch. And right at that moment, it was like something would've snapped in his head as he jumped from his chair, taking his distance, keeping his sight in his lady, as she crossed her naked, elegant arms for a moment.

The Cardinal looked sour, almost angry, but deep under his skin and flesh he was frightened. He was – once again – the hunted animal, he was surrounded, _trapped._

"I have never treated you with anything but friendliness! What makes you assume, that all the sudden I would want to have more from you? What makes you think that I deserve this?" he snapped loudly to his lady, avoiding the rudest terms that tasted on his tongue for several times as he spoke.

"I don't assume so, I know so," the lady purred softly, stepping closer towards her Cardinal again.

She wasn't ready to give up the things he desired the most – whatever they were. The Cardinal didn't know since he couldn't believe his precious lady acting like _this._ He was speechless. There were no words to be said.

"I know your every thought – your every desire," she said once again.

The Cardinal didn't pull away, even that he would've wanted to. And before he knew it, he could feel his lady's back gently touching his cut chest. He gasped silently again. And oh, how hard was the beat of his heart. He has been thrown to the arms of the sin itself.

"You could achieve them," he heard his lady whispering, with a voice that was soft like thousands of unsolved mysteries, as she gently grabbed her Cardinal's hand, moving it against her long, naked neck.

_"You could achieve them right here..," _she whispered with a fatal purr in her voice, sliding the Cardinal's frozen hand lower to touch her bare shoulders.

The Cardinal couldn't breath. He felt the harsh hand of guilt choking him to the death of his thoughts. He turned his sight away from the lady, closing his eyes like he would've been in pain. And he was. He could feel the mental pain in his tortured, splintered mind. He looked like he was ready to fall a part – crash like a fragile glass.

This was what he had wanted.

But he wasn't ready to take it. Not even if it was offered to him from a silver plate as it was right at this moment.

"I – I can't," he gasped, trembling under the tempting, invisible touch of his lady.

And the touch was fragile like a feather, but he couldn't resist – brake himself free.

His lady slightly pushed her body against her Cardinal, who was trapped within her tempting grip. She softly begun to move her Cardinal's hand again, escorting it to touch her waist. And her elegant, feline nose touched his skinny neck that was cut with the finest cuts. The touch made him tremble, whine silently – in a silent little agony.

"Why not?" his lady asked slowly, stretching her long, thin arms to touch the Cardinal's bony cheek.

And the touch made him cringe, reveal his sharp canine teeth, as he tried to capture his desired, throw them back to the darkest chambers of his mind. And oh, how hard it was. He was weak. Now he even admitted it – to himself.

"I'm offering you the solution. I'm offering you _myself,_" his lady purred again like her voice would've been a cloth of the finest silk in the world.

And then, at the next moment, she slowly, smoothly turned around with her body touching her Cardinal at every movement made. She blinked her eyes in a tempting way and let her elegant, exposed arms rest on the Cardinal's shoulders, making him back away for a couple of steps. But there was no way out of the situation as he could feel the cold stone wall against his back. And then; he was the captured lion – the animal – the prey. _There was nothing he could do_, he quickly convinced himself. There was nothing he could do or think that would deny the thing he wanted the most from him – not anymore.

At that moment, something cracked within, when he closed his eyes, surrendering himself to his lady, whose kisses begun to caress his cold lips. He didn't resist, _he couldn't._ Yet still his breath shivered and his voice silently whined. His thoughts and doubt grew silent within his head. Still, he was tortured; this was the only thing denied from him. Yet this was the thing he had desired. _To the bitter end._

So this was the fall of the Cardinal.

Under his status and pride he was still a simple, common man.

And from that point on, he was stripped from his holiness. He could feel God's presence drifting further, growing distant as he let his lady touch his naked skin with a hand that felt like thousand flames, drown him to thousand kisses that lacked love. And there was only emptiness in him. He didn't feel a thing like his insides would've burned to ashes. He did only what was his desire – he was weak.

But what he didn't know that behind the mask of pleasure, solution, his lady sneered with cold eyes that laughed to him. His lady _had_ achieved her desire – but it was something that he could never imagine.


	4. Betrayal

**Fall of the Cardinal**

**Part 4 : Betrayal**

The Cardinal didn't love Milady.

But there was no doubt that he wouldn't have cared for her - even for a little.

Maybe that was the reason for him to feel so terrible as he suddenly woke up, facing the stone wall of the cold dining chamber. He had his only only one woman in his life - and he had treated this woman like a common whore. Taken what he had wanted - from her. And that thought made him close his eyes again, and oh, how he was filled with the pressure of regret. Feeling like his insides would've turned upside down with every word of his inner dialogue.

He felt the heavy weight of guilt on his cut shoulders, that were were filled with the finest of scars. And not because of is lady, who had offered herself to him, but because of himself. He had betrayed himself, broken his promise.

But the worst of all - he had betrayed his God.

So he sat on the pillow bed, covered only by the thick cloth of velvet. And as he turned his sight, he faced his lady, Milady, who was sitting on the table, fully dressed, smoldering smirk on her elegant face that had grown far from beauty in her Cardinal's eyes. And it made a sad contrast. His lady, dressed in the finest of fabrics, sitting on the table - and him; lying on the cold floor, naked. Suspicion raised in, spreading it's wings of uncomfortable feelings. But still the Cardinal didn't grow tense or angry. He was speechless, surprised, ashamed - and there was no expression to describe such a feeling.

"Good morning, my dear Cardinal," Milady said with a cold, distant voice - like she would've been above him in some way - and she most likely was.

"What's the meaning of this?" her Cardinal snapped sharply, letting his expression grow tense, angry as he felt himself threatened - helpless in more ways than just one.

He grabbed his robe that was lying on the dark, smooth velvets, watched by his lady, who had suddenly grown so cold, arrogant in his eyes. This wasn't his lady anymore, he said to himself. She had become someone else. He could hear it in her voice as she said calmly, slowly:

"Nothing. You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

There was a certain teasing tone in her voice, so the Cardinal could hear that there was nothing left of something that had once been. There was nothing left of the formal friendliness. It was like she would've mocked him even with the tone of her voice.

Within, she was laughing at him.

And in the next moment she leaned down, moved herself towards her Cardinal, sitting down on the silky bed of pillows and smooth cloths of velvet. She took her time, as her Cardinal's heartbeat grew faster from every echoing step, every elegant, smooth movement. And she let her fragile hand caress her Cardinal's bony cheek in a way that lacked softness, lacked feeling. It was just a touch of a cold hand and there was nothing to be desired from it. All that the Cardinal could feel at that ever lasting moment was rising anger, suspicion - fear. Yet he didn't do anything - letting Milady's cold, fragile fingers lie their touch on him.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you have to disgrace me like this?" he whispered with a tense, cold voice, covering his cut chest with the cloth of velvet in his grip.

His lady smirked and answered him:

"It takes two to tango."

And then there was an awkward silence. Milady swept her touch away from her Cardinal and looked at him with cold, mysterious look in her eyes. She stripped the man from his remaining pride with her presence and raised her cold voice to say:

"Though -- you were such an easy catch that I wouldn't use that phrase to mock you," she purred, getting her Cardinal's expression to grow surprised all the sudden.

_Catch?_

"Because you know..," she started, reaching her Cardinal's lips with her own - kissing him with a kiss that lacked love; it was a cold, loveless touch of lust, that was no longer desired - the magic was gone for good.

"I was payed to do this. This was all part of my job," she whispered to his pointy ear.

She could feel him cringe under her touch.

At that very second the Cardinal's world fell apart, like someone would've stabbed him suddenly with the sharpest and coldestof all knifes. His breath stopped - he gasped like all the air would've escaped from him- his eyes were wide open all the sudden. And there was no words to be said, as he felt his lady's body growing distant from him. She stood up slowly, enjoining the light, the pride escaping from her Cardinal's eyes.

And in few minutes, there was no trace of something that had once been.It ran out from him like water, like sand.The Cardinal fell apart in front of his lady - in front of the person that he had cared the most of all the ladies that had been in his life so far. _He had been betrayed._

His lady backed away from him for few steps, touching the table with her cold fingers, and there was no expression, no irony, no sarcasm - nothing. In the fair darkness of the early hours of morning she just gazed at her fallen, crashed Cardinal, who justgasped like he couldn't breath: like an animalabout to be put out from it's misery.And she grabbed a cool glass of wine into her grip. With a little, gentle movement of her hand, she raised it for a bit and said with the coldest of all voices ever heard before:

_"For your disgrace."_

And then she walked out from the room.

Walked out from his life. Leaving all that remained from the untouchable Cardinal with no doubts, no regrets, shadow covering her eyes that showed no expression - there was nothing in her - and there was nothing in him. Only emptiness remained.

And the Cardinal closed his eyes, turning his face away from the closing door, as his heart beat like a dramatic, silent sound of piano. He dropped his head against his arms - and within, a part of him died a slow, painful death. He realized:

His obsession had been cured - and the cure had cost him everything he had ever valued.

**FIN**


End file.
